Post-election violence: Rights group SERAP demands UN probe

On 21 April, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), an active non-governmental organisation based in Lagos, wrote to the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, urging her to “urgently visit Nigeria on a fact-finding mission, to probe the post-election violence and killings that have occurred in many northern states of the country”.

In a petition signed by SERAP’s Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation expressed concern over the recurring violence and killings, and the associated violation of several human rights. It therefore demanded that “Ms Pillay must speak out and publicly condemn the violence and killings, and ask the Nigerian government and leaders of political parties to show responsibility and ensure full respect for the human rights of the citizens, including the right to life, to human security and property, to participation and development”.

The group also urged the UN to identify state and non-state actors, including leaders of political parties, who are either complicit or directly responsible for the violence and killings, and to send their names to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for prosecution.

Suleja bomb attack: SERAP calls for Commission of Inquiry

On 11 April, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a frontline non-governmental organisation based in Lagos, called on the Federal Government to urgently establish a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the bomb explosion at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Suleja, Niger State. The blast, which occurred on 8 April, has thus far claimed 13 lives (11 instantly and 2 subsequently) with an unknown number wounded.

In a statement signed by SERAP’s Executive Director, Mr Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation expressed concern over recurrent incidents of violence and what it described as the climate of intimidation and unnecessary loss of lives around the 2011 elections.

SERAP regretted that “The government has not been able to tackle the problem of lack of security around the 2011 elections”. It also observed that “Government’s failure to bring suspected perpetrators of election violence and killings to justice is unacceptable, as impunity is the major obstacle to people’s determination to exercise their right to choose and participate in the government they want”.

The group further stated that: “Considering the continued and increasing scale of the problem of election-related violence and killings,…the time has now come for it (Federal Government) to establish a judicial commission of inquiry to consider the root causes of election-related violence and killings and to ensure justice for victims and their families.” SERAP said continued failure to deal with the problem will only lead to further degeneration of the situation.

Rejecting the view that election-related violence and killings are impossible to solve, the group argued that “What is now required is the political will to do so by promptly setting up a judicial commission to probe the problem”. It also served notice that it would consider litigation options, should the government fail to act.

It urged all presidential candidates and leaders of political parties to promptly and publicly denounce violence and intimidation, and to back the call for establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry on all election-related killings.